Family Holidays: Ibiza family holidays and breaks

Take the Family holiday rating 4 stars out of 5

Why

There is so much more than just clubbing to this beautiful island, although of course you may be the type of parent who would enjoy following your kids to the most outrageous clubs in the world. Tourists rarely venture far from Ibiza town, or the other clubbing centres, so the rest of the island is left for you to explore. If you don't want to move too far from the beach, there are a number of family orientated places to stay, but if you want to be a little more adventurous, then hire a car and drive into the beautiful interior. An abundance of little cove beaches, towering cliffs and dense pine forests makes this an island of excessive beauty as well as just excess.

Top left: Playa de Cala Longa
Top right: Ibiza Town

Bottom left: Terrazas en el Puerto
Bottom right: San Miguel de Balansat

When

Your family can enjoy Ibiza between April and October. If your kids are not yet in school do travel in June or September. Like most parts of the Med Ibiza gets crowded during the peak summer period.

How

Flights to Ibiza leave from more airports in the UK than you knew existed. And it's just a two hour flight...so especially ideal if this is your first flight with the family. Check deals to Ibiza with British Airways, or search low cost flights with Ebookers. Alternatively you can take a flight from Heathrow to Valencia with partners Clickair, and then take a ferry from there, or fly to Barcelona and change flights. Once there you can rent a car for your stay or by the day; Car hire is available from the airport, (depending on what time of day your flight arrives). Alternatively you can rely, instead, on cabs, bus, or a transfer if travelling with a tour operator. Ibiza covers just 225 square miles. The airport is situated just 7.5 km from the capital and within easy reach of all the major tourist resorts.

Stay

Hundreds of hotel and apartment holidays are availalable in the most popular tourist areas, such as Eivissa, San Antonio or Santa Eulalia, from beach resort hotels to studio apartments to designer hotels. Check deals with Thomson holidays and Expedia holidays. It is well worth, however, checking our the islands interior, as well as the wonderful north and east of the island. Self catering villas are a wonderful base to explore from, many with their own pools, with great proximity to secluded beaches. Have a look at Meon Villas for Villas with pools, James Villas, Octopus Travel, and Hotels.com, for their huge range of hotels and self catering accommodation. Depending on your location, it may be well worth also considering hiring a car for your trip, as well as buying a good map. Bear in mind that some of the roads are a bit scary in the north, with sheer drops rather close for comfort. Try Expedia car hire.

Do

Most tourists are sleeping it off in the daytime, so you'll have the beaches to yourself, and the sun won't be too hot for little ones. Generally beaches don't get too busy until around 11 o clock.

With young children:

Make the most of in resort play parks and play areas, we particularly recommend Playa d'en Bossa (with carousels and bouncy castles), San Antonio Bay and Cala Llonga (on the beach with a soft sandy floor), with trampolines, climbing frames and tons of safe and enclosed space to run around in.
The beach of course! (See below for beaches.)
Agualandia Water Park at Talamanca.

With older children:

Ibiza Town's Medieval Castle of Dalt Vila with battlements, steep labyrinthine streets enclosed by towering fortress walls, and tunnels. Spectacular views, interesting craft shops and some excellent restaurants and cafes round off a highly recommended day trip. And if you're lucky enough to be in Ibiza in May why not visit the annual Medieval Fair in May's second weekend, or Santa Eulalia's annual Fiesta at the start of the month..
Boat trips to and from nearby beaches, towns and other attractions make for a great family day out or couple of hours, plus they're great value. Boat trips depart from San Antonio to Cala Bassa, Cala Conta, Cala Tarida and Formentera, ferry Marina to Ibiza Port, from Figueretas to Ibiza Port and Formentera, from Ibiza to Figueretas, Santa Eulalia and Formentera, and from Santa Eulalia to Cala Pada, Cala Lleña, Cala Llonga, Ibiza and Formentera.
Aguamar Water Park, just behind 'Space' at Playa d'en Bossa, is Ibiza'a biggest water park. Cost approx: 18€ for adults and 10€ for children and is open from 10am – 6pm.

For the whole family:

Boogie boarding on the mini-waves at Cala Nova.
Long lunches at beachside restaurants or cafes make for a great afternoon, whilst the little ones play in the sand.
Visit the stalactite caves C'an Marca in the cliffs above Puerto de San Miguel,
Take a day trip to Formentera, with Trasmapi ferries, the smallest Balearic island, by boat and bike. Boats depart regularly in the Summer months from most resorts. Once on Formentera, hire a bike (from the harbour) and discover the really beautiful unspoiled countryside and beaches. July and August can be very hot, so another option is to take a taxi from the harbour to the beach, or catch one of the boats from Ibiza which drops you off directly on one of the heavenly beaches.
See the island trip by car, or mini-train. The island is only 45 km long and 25 km wide, so you can see a great deal in only a day, leaving plenty of time for refreshing stops on the beach and in one of the typical Spanish bars along the way.
Watch a spectacular fireworks shows and Fiesta processions. Particularly in Ibiza Town on July 15th and August 5th to 8th and in San Antonio on August 24th.
Visit the Hippy Markets at Punta Arabi and Las Dalias, and stock up on bling, batik, bongos and much more; Girls especially will love it!!.
Enjoy late suppers in Santa Eulalia, followed by delicious icecream at the Mirretti Icecream Parlour on the seafront.

Beaches:

North: Portinatx, San Miguel; Puerto de San Miguel, Benirras, Cala Xarraca, Cala Xuclar, Portinatx and Cala San Vicente

South: Ibiza Town; Talamanca, Figueretas, Playa d'en Bossa, Es Cavallet, Las Salinas, Cala Jondal, and Sa Caleta

East: Santa Eulalia, Es Caná; Figueral, Pou d'es Lleo, Cala Boix, Cala Leña, Cala Nova, Cala Martina, S'Argamassa, Cala Pada, Niu Blau, Santa Eulalia Town Beaches, and Cala Llonga.

West: San Antonio; Talamanca, Figueretas, Playa d'en Bossa, Es Cavallet, Las Salinas, Cala Jondal, and Sa Caleta.

Eat

Fancy a Chinese? You'll be able to find one somewhere here. This island's restaurant life caters to most tastes, although if you'd rather go traditional, the local Spanish cuisine can be delicious. Try and get away from the holiday centres if you want to try true local dishes, you won't find authentic options there.